The Midwestern United States is an interesting place to live. My father calls it “the farm belt.” Families tend to grow a bit larger, and people tend to linger closer to home as they grow up. But even the close-knit Midwest family structure can’t completely close the miles that creep between family members as school, career, and retirement priorities take over.

In my case, a family that was so close for so many years suddenly grew very distant when my mom and dad moved to Florida at age 65. My own family also blossomed in that timeframe, growing to four beautiful children, all under age six. While we travelled twice to visit when our family numbered two children, it quickly became cost prohibitive to visit Oma and Opa as the family grew to four (our German heritage shows through by the names we call our grandparents).

We ♥ New York! Why else would we choose to stop at the New York Wine Expo on the Cisco ūmi “Get Together” Mobile Tour? If you’re going to be in or around New York City this weekend, we encourage you to stop by, not only for the excellent wine tasting, but also for a chance to see the magic behind Cisco ūmi. Friday, February 25 through Sunday, February 27, the ūmi Mobile Tour van will be stationed at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center near the Lincoln Tunnel.

While perusing the booths of more than 190 wine producers and sampling more than 760 products, take a break and get a taste of Cisco ūmi. This consumer telepresence system isn’t “flat,” “harsh” or “cloudy.” It provides a “big” experience with “sharp” features and a “strong” finish. With a camera that has pan and zoom capabilities sitting snuggly atop your HD television, ūmi allows you to video chat with family and friends as if they were sitting in your own living room. And with the ability to send and receive video messages via ūmi, you can attend events like the New York Wine Expo knowing you won’t miss a call from loved ones. They can leave you a video message!

The Cisco ūmi “Get Together” Mobile Tour is on the move again! This time, we’re headed to Los Angeles for NBA All-Star Jam Session 2011! As an Official Technology Partner of the NBA, we’re excited to be a part of this four-day event that brings together NBA players and Legends with their biggest fans.

In between shooting hoops, swapping stories with other fans and shopping for NBA All-Star merchandise, stop by the Cisco ūmi “Get Together” Mobile Tour van. We’ll be camped out February 18 – 20 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, demonstrating how Cisco ūmi works and allowing you to connect with your favorite NBA players in high def on a big screen television. We know how tall NBA players can be, but don’t worry! Cisco ūmi lets you zoom in and out and pan the room so you won’t miss any of the action as you chat with them.

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